Esben and the Witch
Konzert / Support: Der Bürgermeister der Nacht
Past dates
8/14/15
10:00 PM
Don’t be afraid, the witch only wants to play: a gloomy, wafting sonic brew with a singer straight out of an adult fairy tale. A few years ago Esben and the Witch – who named themselves after a horrific Danish fairy tale – hit the bullseye with their electronic horror pop. The press has euphorically dubbed the group’s macabre The Cure- and Nick Cave-inspired music »witch house,« the Brighton trio prefered the term »nightmare pop« and didn’t want to be pigeonholed as »dark romantics« anyway. Now, the band hired rock-minimalist Steve Albini as a producer for their third album, »A New Nature,« and replaced their drum machine with a heavy drum set. Then they let it rip. Rachel Davies’ literate, plaintive voice now soars above thick fragments of guitars and drums. Critics have compared them to a young PJ Harvey and to noiseveterans Swans, or a combination of both. The Summerfestival marks Esben and the Witch’s only German concert of 2015. This is preceded by the Hamburg duo Der Bürgermeister der Nacht, who will play morbid nightwatchmen-songs from their debut album, »In Champagnerlaune«, which will be released in August on Hand 11.